There is a large contingent of Indian rallyists and a few foreigners as well in the Desert Storm Rally, which kickstarted from Delhi on February 18. 'There are around seven to eight foreign participants from countries such as Germany, Malaysia, Australia, Belgium, etc.,' Alka Barar, the Competitor Relations Officer for the Desert Storm Rally, told this citizen journalist.

The competition was flagged off by one of the most well-known Indian rallyist, Suresh Rana, who has won the Maruti Suzuki Desert Storm twice as well. The six-day rally concluding on February 23, 2013 will also see these rallyist driving for more than 2000 kilometers in total.

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They started off with Delhi yesterday and will travel to various places such as Sardarshahar, Bikaner, Jaisalmer and finally to Jaipur, where the prize distribution would also take place. The prize money for the event is still unknown, as it is the sponsor, Maruti Suzuki, which will decide upon the cash prize, which will be known during the prize distribution ceremony.

Along with cars such as Pajero, Gypsy Endevavor, SUVs, and smaller cars such as i10 and Swift will also be witnessed in the race. Those in the driver's seat for these respective cars will have their work cut out as they have to travel on bumpy roads, pebbly roads as well as the sand dunes. Alka Barar added, “These rallyists need to drive in all kinds of surfaces in Rajasthan.”It is not only going to test their driving skills but also test their character under such conditions.

These rallyists would be participating in various categories such as Xtreme, MotoQuad, Ndure and Xplore,” said Alka Barar. She also said that one needs to have enthusiasm and passion for rallies to win such kind of driving championships.

The ongoing rally is the 11th edition of the Desert Storm Rally. It has come a long way ever since it first kickstarted a decade ago with just 28 teams. Now, the number has miltiplied alarmingly to 125 teams making it the most coveted Desert Storm Rally. This stat alone explains about the success of the competition so far.